U.S. patent number 4,124,815 [Application Number 05/789,523] was granted by the patent office on 1978-11-07 for radio and/or telephone communication system for a fleet of vehicles.
Invention is credited to Michael Stoschek.
United States Patent |
4,124,815 |
Stoschek |
November 7, 1978 |
Radio and/or telephone communication system for a fleet of
vehicles
Abstract
In a fleet of vehicles, all the vehicles are provided with
permanently installed antennas, cable connections, control unit
mounts, and transmitter-receiver mounts. Transmitter-receivers and
control units, less in number than the number of vehicles in the
fleet, are removably secured in the mounts of selected vehicles as
needed.
Inventors: |
Stoschek; Michael (8631 Ahorn,
DE1) |
Family
ID: |
5976543 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/789,523 |
Filed: |
April 21, 1977 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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|
|
|
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Apr 28, 1976 [DE] |
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2618701 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
455/517; 455/346;
455/349; 455/351; 455/66.1; 455/91; 455/99 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R
11/0241 (20130101); B60R 2011/0005 (20130101); B60R
2011/0036 (20130101); B60R 2011/0078 (20130101); B60R
2011/0288 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B60R
11/02 (20060101); B60R 11/00 (20060101); H04B
003/60 () |
Field of
Search: |
;325/15,16,111,117,312,314,352,353,355,361,356,51,53 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Comco-Model 812 Portamcom-All Solid State Mobile/Portable
Transceiver-Communications Company -- Oct. 1972..
|
Primary Examiner: Griffin; Robert L.
Assistant Examiner: Bookbinder; Marc E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Toren, McGeady and Stanger
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A system for communication between one of a plurality of
vehicles and a communication partner composed of at least one other
vehicle or an exchange, comprising: a plurality of vehicles; each
vehicle having radio set mounting means fixedly mounted in the
vehicle for holding and electrical connection to a radio set,
control unit mounting means fixedly mounted in the vehicle for
holding and electrically connecting to a control unit, a receiver
fixedly mounted in the vehicle, a radio antenna fixedly mounted to
the vehicle, cable means in the vehicle for electrically connecting
said radio set mounting means and said control unit mounting means
as well as said receiver and said antenna to each other; a
plurality of radio sets smaller than the plurality of the vehicles,
a plurality of control units smaller than the plurality of
vehicles, said radio sets and said control units being removably
mounted in predetermined ones of said mounting means at any one
time while others of said mounting means remain empty of radio sets
and control units, said mounting means including one of
self-locking mounting supports and slide mounts.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to mobile communication systems,
particularly for radio or telephone communications between one of
several vehicles and a communication partner, such as another one
of the vehicles or a central exchange or base station.
Large companies or government agencies frequently maintain large
pools or fleets of vehicles such as cars equipped with radios or
radio-telephones which can be used to establish quick contact
between the vehicles or between a vehicle and a base station or
exchange. The term "base station" refers to any type of central
office which keeps in contact with the vehicle. Each car is
normally equipped with a radio set (i.e. a transceiver), a service
and control unit, a hearing and speaking apparatus such as an
earphone-microphone handset, and an antenna. The radio set is most
often found in the trunk of the vehicle, and the antenna is mounted
on the rear of the vehicle because of the need to provide a short
antenna connection. A cable or cable harness connects a service and
control unit with the transceiver and is located either in the
dashboard of the vehicle or in a bracket secured under the
dashboard. Thus located, the unit makes possible to set the control
adjustments necessary for establishing a radio or telephone
connection in comfort. The hearing and speaking apparatus, such as
a handset, is at the same time arranged within the immediate reach
of the driver. In most cases it is mounted between the front
seats.
With fleets having a great number of vehicles, from which
connections must be established with one and the same exchange, the
total costs required for these mobile apparatuses in each car are
quite high. Frequently, however, only a part of the fleet of cars
is in use. Hence, there are relatively long idle times for the
costly equipment in the cars and the apparatuses are not
sufficiently utilized.
The same problem exists in small organizations where, for example,
one business car is equipped with the above-mentioned apparatus,
but the same equipment would also be desirable for a personal car
so that the owner could establish telephone contacts after regular
business hours. However, in most cases, the personal car is not
used during business hours. Hence, if both cars are equipped with a
mobile communication system, this costly equipment is used
inefficiently in that the operating time is insufficient.
An object of this invention is to avoid these problems. Another
object of the invention is to provide a communication system which
permits cost-justifying utilization of the equipment installed in
the vehicles by avoiding the aforementioned long idle times.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a feature of the invention, these objects are obtained
in a communication system of the above described type by fixedly
installing each vehicle's radio antenna, the hearing and speaking
apparatus including the microphone, and the cabling necessary
between all these units and by removably mounting a small number of
units relative to the total number, i.e. a transceiver and a
service and control unit, in fixedly installed automatically
locking supports or slide mounts.
The invention is based upon the recognition that the apparatus of
the vehicles which are not being used can be used in other
vehicles. The invention reduces the total number of apparatuses
used by rapidly exchanging those apparatuses which particularly
contribute to the high investment costs. These are primarily the
radio set (transceiver) and the service and control unit. The radio
antenna, the microphone and speaker, and the cabling required
between all the units are fixedly installed. However, because the
transceiver and the service and control unit can be rapidly
exchanged, only as many transceivers and service and control units
corresponding to the number of vehicles actually on the road are
employed. In small companies it is possible to remove the
transceiver and control unit from a business car after business
hours and mount it in a personal car. This also reduces the
investment costs of this expensive apparatus.
According to another feature of the invention, automatically
locking, fixedly installed, mounting supports or slide mounts which
permit rapid exchange of the apparatuses, are provided in each car.
The fixedly installed automatically locking supports preferably
serve for mounting the transceiver in the trunk compartment of a
car, while the slide mount in the dashboard or bracket underneath
permits rapid exchange of the service or control unit.
According to another feature of the invention, other devices are
provided after removal of the radio set or service and control
unit, for example, a receptable for car accessories or an
ashtray.
The term "service and control unit" refers, for example, to a unit
having a channel selector, mode selector (AM, FM, SSB, etc.) on-off
switch, volume control, or any combination of these.
The above and other features of the invention are pointed out in
the claims. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be
evident from the following detailed description when read in light
of the accompanying drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The sole drawing illustrates a fleet of cars operating with a base
station and embodying features of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the drawing, N vehicles V.sub.1, V.sub.2, . . . V.sub.N, which
are illustrated as automobiles or cars but which may also be
trucks, boats, etc., are adapted for communication with each other
and/or with a base station, central office, or exchange ES. The
vehicle V.sub.1 is equipped with a radio antenna 1, a radio set 2
(e.g. in the form of a transceiver or transmitter-receiver) which
is mounted in a support 3, a cable or cable harness 4, 5, and a
speaker-microphone apparatus 6 (in the form of a telephone set in
which an earphone and microphone are mounted in the handset). Also,
in the vehicle V.sub.1, a service and control unit 7 (e.g. a
channel tuning and control module that may perform functions such
as switching, fine tuning, volume control, and selecting of one of
the AM, SSB, or FM operating modes), is supported by a slide mount
8. The vehicle V.sub.1 is a complete automobile with rear seats,
engine, etc. For clarity, only details such as a front seat 10, a
dashboard 12, and a steering column with a steering wheel 14, are
illustrated in broken and dot-dash lines.
The radio set is arranged in the support 3 which is preferably in
the form of a base equipped with a multiple connector plug or jack.
The radio set 2 can be connected with the rest of the equipment
simply by inserting it into the support 3 because the radio antenna
is connected directly to the support 3 through an antenna cable.
Similarly, the cable harness 4, 5, is connected directly to the
support 3. According to an embodiment of the invention, the support
3 is equipped with mechanical snap closures which permit simple and
safe mounting of the radio set 2 by mere insertion of the radio set
into the support 3. When the radio 2 is needed for another vehicle,
it is easily removed from the support 3 and used in another
correspondingly equipped vehicle.
According to an embodiment of the invention, such a receptacle for
car accessories are inserted and held with the snap closures.
Similarly, the unit 7 is secured in a bracket underneath the
dashboard. Here it is necessary to furnish a recess into which the
unit 7 can be inserted as part of a slide mount. The corresponding
mating portion, which is similarly equipped with a multiple
connector plug or jack is illustrated at 8. The cable harness 4,5
connects the slide mount 8 with the support 3 of the radio set 2.
When the unit 7 is removed from the bracket, another device such as
an ashtray may be inserted in its place.
The speaker-microphone apparatus 6 is installed between the front
seat of the vehicle and a branch cable 5 of the cable 4 connects it
to the unit 7 on the one hand and the radio set 2 on the other.
The installation and arrangement illustrated in the drawing is
merely an example of one embodiment. The cable or cable harness 4
need not necessarily, as illustrated, pass through a lower body
tunnel. According to an embodiment of the invention the cable is
laid inside the roof structure. Furthermore, according to another
embodiment of the invention, the radio set 2 as well as the radio
antenna is mounted in the forward portion of the vehicle when the
necessary space is available for this purpose. In trucks, other
arrangements and installations are utilized on the basis of the
spatial relationships.
Each of the vehicles V.sub.1, V.sub.2 . . . V.sub.N, is provided
with devices 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8. However, only the vehicles most
involved in the communication process at any one time, such as the
vehicles V.sub.1 and V.sub.N, are provided with the units 2 and 7.
When a vehicle such as V.sub.1 is no longer being used, e.g. when
it is being repaired, and the vehicle V.sub.2 is used, then the
units 2 and 7 are removed from the vehicle V.sub.1 and mounted in
the vehicle V.sub.2.
According to an embodiment of the invention, contemporarily
available auto-installed public telephone apparatuses are utilized
in a number of vehicles such as automobiles.
Automobile telephones are composed essentially of four parts.
1. Transmitter and receiver portion,
2. Operating unit (dial),
3. Handset with speaker and microphone, and
4. Antenna.
Aside from this, there is also need for a cable arrangement which
establishes the connection between these parts. The first two parts
represent more than 90 percent of the value of the total
installation.
Hitherto manufacturers have prescribed that all four parts be
permanently installed in the car. This alone amounts to a
substantial investment.
If telephones have to be installed in several vehicles of a pool or
fleet of a large company or government agency, the cost of
installation for each vehicle is extremely high. This is true also
of equipping a personal car as well as a business car with a
telephone.
According to the invention, the expensive parts, i.e., the dial set
and transmitting-receiving unit, need be purchased only once, or
only once for each main connection. Only the more inexpensive
parts, i.e. the receiver and antenna, are permanently installed in
each car. This makes sense economically and achieves all technical
requirements, because the receiver, antenna, and cabling must be
fixedly connected in each vehicle (a one-time installation
expense).
Experience has shown that for example, in a medium sized vehicle
fleet only a few cars need be reachable by telephone at one time,
but that the particular cars which must be reached while on the
road varies. The one-time acquisition of transceivers and operating
units for a fraction of the vehicles, as well as the simple
equipment for all the cars with these parts, represents substantial
savings and costs.
Another advantage for the manufacturer is that many potential
customers who in the past shied away from the relatively high cost
of the telephone in a single car, may now be ready to buy such a
system, since it is now possible to equip any number of cars at
practically the same or only slight higher cost. This permits the
better utilization of the installation.
The exchange of the expensive apparatus is effected by quick-action
plug-jack connections at the cable terminals and snap closures in
the mounting supports. The cables are fixedly installed in the car
and need be installed only once. This is also true for the receiver
and the antenna. The recess left in the dashboard by the missing
control unit can be filled either by a cover plate or by another
part, for example, an ashtray.
The space occupied by the radio set in the truck compartment can be
filled with a repair kit, etc. This also allows snap closures to be
used.
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